The stall, run by 53-year-old Tran Thi Kim Phuong in Binh Thuy Ward, has continued serving customers despite flooding caused by high tides.
For 20 years, Phuong has operated the roadside eatery, serving bun rieu, a traditional Vietnamese noodle soup with crab-based broth, in the mornings and evenings, regardless of the weather.
Keeping business going through floods
Phuong said high tides made running the stall increasingly difficult, forcing her to raise cooking equipment, move ingredients to higher ground and rearrange seating.
Customers often stack three or four chairs to keep themselves above the floodwater while eating.
Two large pots of broth are kept simmering over charcoal fires. To prevent floodwater from reaching them, Phuong has built a concrete platform nearly half a metre high.
"Every time the water rises, running the stall becomes harder, from moving equipment to serving customers on a flooded street," she said.
"The tides rise and fall within a few hours. If I close, I lose customers, so I find ways to keep going."
Her bun rieu includes familiar ingredients such as meat, congealed blood, Vietnamese pork sausage, banana blossom and shredded water spinach.
Although the dishes are similar to those sold elsewhere, the stall has built a loyal following over two decades thanks to its affordable prices and familiar flavours.
When Phuong first started selling noodles, a bowl cost VND 10,000. Rising ingredient and living costs have since pushed the standard price to VND 25,000 (about USD 1).
However, she continues to offer smaller portions costing VND 5,000-15,000 to low-income workers.
Among her regular customers is Huynh Thi Kim Lien, 60, a street lottery ticket seller who visits almost daily for a bowl costing VND 10,000-15,000 before returning to work.
Even when high tides flood the alley, Lien continues to stop for a hot meal.
With her daily earnings dependent on lottery ticket sales, an affordable bowl of noodles helps her manage living expenses.
Phuong's willingness to serve inexpensive meals to struggling workers has helped build lasting relationships with customers such as Lien.
Flooded stall draws online attention
Phuong said videos of her stall operating amid floodwaters had recently circulated on social media, attracting visitors from further afield.
She was surprised that her small neighbourhood eatery had received so much attention.
Although pleased to welcome new customers, Phuong said her daily routine remained unchanged.
Despite the flooding, she continues to keep the broth simmering, raise chairs above the water and serve affordable meals to local workers.